The Turtle Survival Alliance’s North American Freshwater Turtle Research Group conducts turtle population surveys annually in select freshwater springs in Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas.
These surveys utilize citizen scientist volunteers to collect data on the turtle species and population numbers present in the springs. Snorkelers swim up and down the spring searching for, and catching, all the turtles they can find. The turtles are then processed which includes taking morphometrics (body measurement) data, weighing them, notching their shells and PIT tagging them for future identification.
These population studies have occurred for 20 years at some of the sites. This long-term approach allows the researchers to monitor turtle populations to see if there are changes over time.
Some of the Florida Red-bellied turtles and Florida Peninsula Cooters caught in the survey efforts receive radio transmitters that are applied to their shells. These turtles will be tracked weekly by Tabitha Barbree Hootman, a graduate student through the University of Jacksonville, so their movements throughout the springs ecosystem can be monitored.
The goal of this research is to provide information about the habitat requirements and migration patterns of these species. The information gained from that data can help researchers determine how to maintain these species’ survival over time.
After the turtles are processed, all the animals are released back into the spring.
The gallery below illustrates the turtle survey process and some of the beautiful scenery of Rock Springs run at Kelly Park in Florida.
